Kennesaw Mt. Story

Waveland Independent, April 2, 1920

“The late Richard Rusk was led to enlist in the Army during the Civil War by the fact that his uncle, A.P. Harrell, but a little older than himself, had enlisted and he wanted to be with him. Another uncle, also named Harrell was in the 40th Indiana. At Kennesaw Mountain, the uncle was wounded in a curious way. A cannon ball struck a tree near him and a splinter knocked him down and paralyzed him but did not render him unconscious. At nearly the same moment, Richard Rusk was struck in the forehead by a spent ball and dazed so that he started running into the rebel lines and would certainly have been killed or captured if comrades had not caught him. A.P. Harrell died in the soldier’s home at Danville, Ill. on the Saturday preceding Mr. Rusk’s death on Wednesday, so the comrades were not long separted. Mr Rusk knew that his uncle was seriously ill, but was not told of his death.”

Richard Rusk enlisted in the 40th Indiana as a recruit on April 7, 1864. He was in Company C, and mustered out December 21, 1865 at the rank of Sergeant.

A.P. “Perry” and John T. Harrell enlisted in the 40th Indiana on December 6, 1861. Both were members of Company C, and both mustered out at the rank of Sergeant on December 21, 1865.